Music box



MUS IC BOX Filed Oct. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS CARL AYALA GORDON/1 JBAFLOW M/JiV/A J- 6.0 55 7 By W yfif ATTORNEYS Jan. 24, 1967 M GLASS ET AL 3,299,763

F 7 j x 0 INVENTORS CARL AVAAA 6000NA54PAOW MA'AV A JIGZ/IES ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,299,763 MUSIC BOX Marvin I. Glass, Carl Ayala, and Gordon A. Barlow, Chicago, 11]., assignors to Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, Ill., a partnership Filed Oct. 22, N65, Ser. No. 500,969 6 Claims. (Cl. 84-95) The present invention relates generally to music boxes and is particularly directed to a novel and improved arrangement for music boxes of the comb type which provides for amplification and control of the sound.

In the conventional music box the music producing device or comb is normally mounted in a housing, so that the housing serves as a sounding chamber for the device. Consequently, the volume of the sound produced is generally dependent upon the size and construction of the housing and there is very little difference in the volume of sound produced in music boxes having similar combs and generally the same size of housing. The present invention is directed to means for increasing the volume of sound produced by such devices, through relatively simple mechanical means, and also provides for the control of the volume of sound.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a novel and improved structural arrangement for music boxes. A further object of the invention is to provide relatively simple mechanical means for increasing the volume of sound produced by a music box. Still another obpject is to provide mechanical sound amplifying means for use in conjunction with music boxes, which is selectively operable to increase and decrease the volume of sound produced. A more detailed object of the invention is to provide a music box of the comb type, wherein a rotatable drum having projections thereon selectively vibrates reeds which are fixed in place at one end, with means for amplifying the sound produced by the vibrating reeds including a clamping plate for the fixed ends of the reeds which extends outwardly therefrom and a sound amplifying cone member having its apex in contact with the free end of the clamping plate. Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of selected embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a music box embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the music box, with the forward wall partially broken away to illustrate the mechanism inside;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view generally similar to FIGURE 3 but showing portions of the mechanism in another operative position;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing a modified and simpler version of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 in FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a music box, illustrating still another embodiment of the invention.

With reference to FIGURES 14 it will be noted that the principal embodiment of this invention is generally in the form of a music box 8 comprising a rectangular housing having a front wall ll), 2. back wall 12 and four side walls. The forward wall of the housing includes the face or grill 14 of a sound amplifier or speaker 16 and a knob 18 for control of the sound amplifying mechanism in a manner to be escribed. Within the box or housing there is provided a generally conventional sound producing device of the musical comb type, including a metal frame structure 19 secured to the back wall 12 of the housing as by screws 20, a rotary drum 22 having prongs or projections 24 spaced circumferentially and axially along its outer surface, and a plurality of vibratory reeds or tines 26 mounted so that the free end portions thereof are positioned for plucking engagement by the prongs 24 on the drum. Rotation of the drum 22 is achieved by means of a spring wound motor 28 of con ventional form, including a center shaft 30 having a portion projecting through the rear wall of the housing and including a knob 32 for winding the spring. The spring motor is drivingly connected through a series of gears, indicated as 34, to the shaft 36 for the drum, and the gear train 34 has associated therewith a rotary vane-type governor 38 for controlling the speed of rotation of the drum. Since this portion of the mechanism is conventional in nature and other suitable known means might be provided for rotating the drum, a detailed description of the drive mechanism is believed to be unnecessary.

The vibratory members or reeds 26 are formed integrally with a base plate portion 40 providing means for securing the reeds in their operative position. In the conventional form of construction for musical combs, the reed plate is fixed to the frame portion, and the vibrations of the reeds are transmitted through the supporting metal frame to the wall of the box or housing. However, in the present invention the base plate portion 40 of the reeds 26 is separated from the metal frame 19 by a sound insulating member, such as the strip of rubber 42 shown in FIGURE 3. The strip 42 is effective in minimizing the transmission of vibrations from the vibrating reeds to the supporting frame structure. Instead, the vibration of the reeds is transmitted to a cover or clamping plate 44, which in the illustrated embodiments has one end portion overlying the base of the reeds and the other end extending a substantial distance from the reeds. A pair of screws 46 or the like are passed through the reed plate member 40 and rubber strip 42 and are threaded through suitable openings in the supporting frame 19. Thus, it will be seen that the clamping plate 44 is essentially a continuation of the reed member 40 and directly receives and transmits the vibrations established in the latter as the free ends of the tines 26 are tensioned and released by prongs 24 upon rotation of drum 22.

Adjacent the free end of the clamping plate 44 is an amplifying means in the form of a cone 46, which may be made of any suitable known material commonly used for sound amplifiers or speakers, including a plastic such as a high impact styrene, and a generally wedge-shaped member 48 is carried by the housing for movement relative to a position, shown in FIGURE 4, wherein such member contacts the apex 50 of the amplifying cone and the free end 52 of the clamping member 44. The wedge-shaped member 48 is disposed at one end of an arm 54 having its opposite end fixed to a shaft 56 carried by the forward wall 10 of the housing The shaft extends through the housing and has a knob 58 thereon for effecting rotation of the arm. When the arm 54 is rotated to the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 2, the wedgeshaped member 48 engages the apex 50 of the cone 46 and also the free end 52 of the plate 44. In this position, the vibrations of the reeds 26 are transmitted through the plate 44 and the wedge-shaped member 48 to the cone 4d, which then serves to amplify the sounds produced by such vibrations. As the arm 54 is moved out of such position of engagement with the cone and clamping memher, the cone is, of course, no longer effective as a direct amplifier for the vibrating reeds and the sounds produced are of lower volume. Furthermore, there is a noticeable change in the volume of sound as the wedge-shaped member 48 moves into and away from contact with the cone 46. The surface area of engagement between these parts affects the transmission of vibrations to the cone and, consequently, the intensity of the sound produced. As such area diminishes in size the volume of the sound diminishes, and as such area increases the volume of the sound increases. Thus, there is not only a selection of loud and soft for the musical sounds produced by the mechanism, but there is also provided variations in volume between the loud and sof sound.

A more simplified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6, wherein the mechanism is generally similar to that described in FIGURES 14 but there is no means provided for controlling the volume of the sound produced. In this simplified version, the sound producing device or musical comb, indicated as 70, is identical with that just described insofar as the operation of the rotary drum 72 and the structural arrangement of the vibrating reeds 74 and clamping plate 76 is concerned. However, in this instance the free end '78 of the clamping plate is in constant contact with the apex 8d of the amplifying cone 82. Consequently, the vibrations of the reeds 74, as they are struck by the prongs 84 on the drum, are always transmitted through the elongated metal clamping plate 76 to the amplifying cone, to thereby produce a volume which is substantially and very noticeably greater than the volume of the sound produced with the known types of music boxes. In this respect, it should be noted that the clamping plate 76 is preferably a relatively rigid metal piece and is capable of providing a reasonably accurate transmission of the vibrations in reeds 26 without noticeable changes. A resilient strip 86, of rubber or the like, is preferably positioned between plate 76 and the supporting frame structure, as in the previous embodiment, to assist in the accurate transmission of the reed vibrations to the cone 82. The cone 32 may be of any known material used conventionally for similar purposes, including plastic, and in each of the illustrated embodiments the enlarged outer end portion of the cone is covered by a decorative grill which may also be of plastic material The embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 7 is intended primarily to show that the amplified sound can be achieved with the use of an elongated clamping plate 9th which is not generally parallel to the reeds 92 along its entire length, as shown in the previous embodiments. In FIGURE 7, the musical comb device, indicated as 94 and including the drum 96 and reeds 92, is substantially identical with those described previously except that the clamping plate 90 has a reverse bend near its mid portion. Consequently, the free end 98 of the clamping plate generally overlies its fixed end and engages the apex 100 of the amplifying cone 102. In this respect, it should be noted that an appreciable amplification of the sound of the vibrating reeds of a musical comb device can be achieved by placing the apex of an amplifying cone directly on the solid metal base portion of the vibratable tines, whereby the vibrations established in the tines can be transmitted to the cone. However, greater amplification is achieved by use of the clamping plates described herein with the cone contacting the free end of the clamping plate. It appears that the plate acts as a lever in further amplifying the vibrations set up in the tines.

Various other forms and arrangements could be employed utilizing the principles of this invention, wherein the vibrations of the reeds are transmitted to an amplifying cone. Although shown and described herein with respect to particular structure, it will be apparent that various modifications might be made without departing from the principles of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A musical instrument which comprises a supporting frame structure, a plurality of spaced-apart elongated vibratable tines fixed at one end to said frame and having the other end free, means securing said one end of said tines to said frame including a metal plate portion, means for vibrating said tines, and a sound amplifying cone fixed in position with the apex thereof in contact with said metal plate portion.

2. A musical comb device which comprises a supporting frame structure, a plurality of spaced, parallel, elongated vibratable tines fixed at one end to said frame and having the other end free, means securing said one end of said teeth to said frame including a metal plate portion adapted to receive the vibrations of said tines, means carried by said frame and operable to vibrate said tines, and a sound amplifying cone fixed in position with the apex thereof in contact with the said metal plate portion.

3. A musical comb device which comprises a base member, a plurality of spaced, parallel, elongated vibratable tines fixed at one end to said base and having the other end free, means securing said one end of said tines to said base member including a resilient, sound-insulating member positioned between said base and the fixed end of said tines, a metal plate member positioned in overlying engagement with the fixed end of said tines and having a free end portion extending away from said base, a rotatable drum including projections thereon in position for engagement with the free ends of said tines upon rotation of said drum so as to effect vibration of said tines, and a sound amplifying cone fixed in position with the apex thereof in contact with the free end portion of said plate member, whereby the vibration of said tines is transmitted through said plate member to said cone.

4. A musical comb device which comprises a base member, a plurality of spaced-apart vibratable tines fixed at one end to said base and having the other end free, means securing said one end of said tines to said base member including a plate member clamping said tines to said base member and having a free end portion extending away from said base, a rotatable drum having projections thereon disposed in position to engage the free ends of said tines upon rotation of said drum, a sound amplifying cone positioned with its apex in spacedapart, overlying relation to the free end portion of said plate, and means selectively movable into a position between the free end of said plate and said apex to effect engagement between said amplifying cone and said plate so that the vibrations of said tines are transmitted through said plate to said cone.

5. A music box of the musical comb type which comprises a housing, a base member fixed within said housing, a plurality of spaced, parallel, elongated vibratable tines fixed at one end to said base and having the other end free, means securing said one end of said tines to said base member including a plate member clamping said tines to said base member and having a free end portion extending away from said base, a rotatable drum having projections thereon disposed in position to engage the free ends of said teeth upon rotation of said drum, and a sound amplifying cone positioned in said housing with its apex in contact with the projecting portion of said plate and the longitudinal axis of said cone extending generally at right angles to said plate end portion and terminating at an opening in a wall of said housing.

6. A music box of the musical comb type which comprises a housing, a metal frame structure fixed within said housing, a plurality of spaced parallel elongated vibratable tines fixed at one end to said metal frame and having the other end free, means securing said one end of said tines to said base member including a resilient, sound-insulating member positioned between said frame and the fixed ends of said tines, a metal plate member positioned in overlying engagement with said tines and having a free end portion extending away from said frame, a rotatable drum carried by said frame and having projections thereon disposed in position to engage the free ends of said tines upon rotation of said drum, a sound amplifying cone positioned with its apex portion in overlying, spaced-apart relation to the projecting free-end portion of said metal plate, and

means within said housing which is selectively movable 0 into simultaneous engagement with said apex of said amplifying cone and said free end of said plate member to conduct the vibrations of said tines through said plate member to said amplifying cone, said movable means being constructed so that said engagement with said 15 cone apex and metal plate is initially over a relatively small portion of the areas thereof and the areas of engagement becomes increasingly greater until complete contact therebetween is established, whereby said movable means is operable to vary the volume of the sounds produced as said tines are vibrated by said rotatable drum.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 531,036 12/1894 Hoschke 8495 531,359 12/1894 Brachhausen 84-95 536,808 4/1895 Jaccard 84-95 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WHICH COMPRISES A SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE, A PLURALITY OF SPACED-APART ELONGATED VIBRATABLE TINES FIXED AT ONE END TO SAID FRAME AND HAVING THE OTHER END FREE, MEANS SECURING SAID ONE END OF SAID TINES TO SAID FRAME INCLUDING A METAL PLATE PORTION, MEANS 